Pope Leo XIV delivered a video message to the approximately 26,000 attendees of the SEEK26 conferences currently underway across the United States [[2]]. The annual event, running January 1-5 in Columbus, Ohio; Fort Worth, Texas; and Denver, Colorado, draws young Catholics for faith-based talks, worship, and community building [[3]]. In his address,the Pope encouraged attendees to embrace a personal relationship with Christ,emphasizing that a genuine faith naturally inspires a desire to share that joy with others [[1]].
Pope Leo XIV has delivered a message to participants at the SEEK26 conferences, taking place simultaneously in Ohio, Texas, and Colorado. Addressing young people, the Pope emphasized that a zealous commitment to faith stems from a genuine encounter with Christ – a joy, he said, that is impossible to keep to oneself.
The video message, delivered in English, was sent to the thousands attending SEEK26, an event that began on Thursday, January 1, and will conclude on Monday, January 5. The conferences are being held concurrently in Columbus, Ohio, Fort Worth, Texas, and Denver, Colorado, and feature prayer, worship, talks, and celebrations.
The Pope began his address with a direct question to attendees: “Dear young people, what are you searching for? Why are you here at this conference?”
These questions, the Pope suggested, echo those posed by Jesus to his disciples – inquiries that continue to resonate and challenge listeners today. They are questions designed to provoke thought and inspire action.
“The answer is found in a person. Only the Lord Jesus brings true peace and joy and fulfills our deepest desires,” the Pope stated.
The Pope’s Invitation
Pope Leo XIV encouraged participants to remain “open to what the Lord has in store” for each of them. He noted that the conferences could be an opportunity to encounter Christ for the first time, or to deepen an existing relationship with Him. However, he stressed that once encountered, everything changes, and, like the disciples, one can proclaim, “We have found the one we were looking for!” – a realization that naturally leads to a desire to share that joy with others.
“Missionary zeal is born from an encounter with Christ. We desire to share with others what we have received, so that they too may know the fullness of love and truth that is found only in Him,” he explained.
Do Not Be Afraid
Pope Leo XIV assured the attendees of his prayers, hoping they would share the joy of their encounter with the Lord. He urged the young people, during these days of fellowship and Eucharistic adoration, not to be afraid to ask what Jesus expects of them – whether that be a vocation to the priesthood, religious life, marriage, or family life.
“If you feel that the Lord is calling you, do not be afraid. Let me emphasize once again that only He knows the deepest desires, perhaps hidden, of your hearts and the path that will lead you to true fulfillment. Let yourselves be led and guided by Him!”
Finally, the Pontiff entrusted the conferences, which began on the feast day of Mary, Mother of God, to the Virgin Mary, so that through her intercession, participants may come to Jesus and find the peace they have long sought.
